Every year, the Black and White Ball staff works as hard as they possibly can to learn and grow from the feedback and different experiences we have received. One of the positive things that we have been hearing was about the improvement of the playlist year by year. This is not because we have minions running around trying to read your minds to find out what songs will be perfect to play. This is because those who attend actually have an input on the playlist itself!

We would like to get a head start on finding out what you, your friends, or anyone thinking about attending the Black and White Ball would love to hear and dance to! For those who may not exactly remember what they liked or didn't like about the previous playlists, feel free to look through the playlists of previous years below.

The playlist is generally a compilation of suggestions from the forums, social media outlets, and word of mouth. The Black and White Ball staff will look through the suggestions to look for songs that have a steady beat to dance to and fit with the type of dances being held during the event. We also check the lyrics (if there are any) to make sure that they are appropriate for all ages as there is no age restriction at the event itself.

While not all songs will be liked by everyone, we try our best to come up with a good variety of music for the various dance styles that will be taught during the weekend. The staff then has to ensure that the sound levels are correct, the tempo is right, and possibly cut some of them for length. This is a lot of work given how long the event is, which is why we have the playlist completed usually around the beginning of May. Because of this, we will be unable to take requests at the Ball itself.

Generally, we have found that the last few weeks leading up to the Black and White Ball sees an overload of requests and suggestions. Unfortunately, we are unable to include a good portion of those songs because it was so close to the event. That is why we’re starting extra early for next year!

We would also appreciate it if you could link a video or audio clip of the song you're requesting. It isn't required, but it does help us make sure that we are looking at the correct song.

So what does that mean for you? You should get your requests in early!

This is YOUR chance to give input on what you would like to hear at the Black and White Ball!

We appreciate and look at all suggestions, but please remember that, while you may make a request, the Black and White Ball staff has the final say as to what becomes part of the playlist. If you feel strongly about your request, please say so and provide support for it. We are looking for all types of music from pop, jpop, kpop, anime, video game, etc. so don't be afraid to offer up any suggestions that you may have, even if you're not sure if it's suitable.

You may also email us your requests at bwball@fanime.com! If you choose to email us, please include "Music Request" or "Playlist Suggestion" in the title so we can keep track of it accordingly.

What dances do you need songs for? Will they be restricted to the dances you're teaching or will there be other dances as well? I've noticed in past years you haven't taught dances such as quickstep, v-waltz, and jive, so it would be good to know what type of songs you'll be accepting/playing. Are you looking for music for International or American styles? I have a stash of nerdy ballroom music, but it would be good to know what would be appropriate to send.

There's some strange mix of nerd songs and pop songs here. I saw both on the 2015 playlist so I figured I would just put whatever I had that wasn't already on the playlist. Just to be clear, this is less a series of requests and more a list of suggestions, so feel free to use/not use as many as you see fit. :)

TangoPhantom of the Opera: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAygivq8bvkHe's a Pirate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnY9qQbqmoESomebody That I Used to Know: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGx9674bYO0Telephone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uM0-jbi7uMQ

Rumba (International)Take A Bow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gveSiZye0ZUJust Give Me A Reason: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9NWcf1Y1EcHalo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lN85b5YckwUSet Fire to the Rain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWuBgY-3JuISkyfall: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SITKlMhUEHQEvery Time We Touch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vocWZy4XSwoJust The Way You Are: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGV5IIee-Sg

Great Gatsby Soundtrack: http://www.what-song.com/Movies/Soundtrack/1134/The-Great-Gatsby(PS: Some are more up beat and may be too fast for the Fanime Ball's style so I hope you can look through it and find what is preferable.)

Ok so this probably doesn't go here but I'll post it anyway. At the last ball I went to they had a row of chairs against the wall with a sign that said "ask me to dance" on it. It worked out amazingly well within a few seconds of people sitting down they would be asked to dance. So i was wondering if you guys could do something like that at this years ball?

Thanks for the suggestion! Based on the size of the dance floor and the layout of Parkside in general it would be problematic to have a "Available to Dance" row of chairs against a wall that would be visible to all parts of the room and not cause a traffic issue. Similarly, having a row of chairs near the edge of the floor would also disrupt traffic flow. Based on my observation of previous years, people who really want to dance will usually stick around on or close to the dance floor anyways. We will have over 40 staff available to dance with at the Ball, so look for teal rosettes and armbands!

I think Ash's idea is awesome! You could use one of the tables that are already by the dance floor. Just put a sign on one of the tables that says "Ask me to dance" or something like that. That way it wouldn't be in the way. It would be nice to have an easy way to dance with people that aren't staff. Last year, some of my friends left because they couldn't find someone that wanted to dance. Asking people to dance is hard and this would make it so much easier :D

I really enjoyed Shut Up and Dance last year, and something by marianas trench, (maybe "Fallout" or "One Love" could be a rumba or night club 2 step. "Celebrity Status" or "Haven't Had Enough" probably works for Swing)

They played "Hot Mess" by cobra starship one year for a cha-cha and I thought it good. BUt I understand if you don't want to play the same thing every year.

If you wanted to check out what was included in the Black & White Ball this year, you can find the full playlist in the thread below! :)http://forums.fanime.com/index.php/topic,20725.msg490707.html#msg490707